Saint-Lô
Prefecture and commune in Normandy, France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Saint-Lô (US: /sæ̃ ˈloʊ, seɪnt -, sənt -/,[3][4][5] French: [sɛ̃ lo] ⓘ; Breton: Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.[6]
Saint-Lô | |
---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
Coordinates: 49°07′N 1°05′W | |
Country | France |
Region | Normandy |
Department | Manche |
Arrondissement | Saint-Lô |
Canton | Saint-Lô-1 and 2 |
Intercommunality | Saint-Lô Agglo |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Emmanuelle Lejeune[1] (DVD) |
Area 1 | 23.19 km2 (8.95 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 19,373 |
• Density | 840/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 50502 /50000 |
Elevation | 7–134 m (23–440 ft) (avg. 14 m or 46 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Although it is the second largest city of Manche after Cherbourg, it remains the prefecture of the department. It is also chef-lieu of an arrondissement and two cantons (Saint-Lô-1 and Saint-Lô-2).[6] The placename derives from that of a local saint, Laud of Coutances.
The commune has 18,931 inhabitants[Note 1] who are called Saint-Lois(es). The names of Laudois(es), Laudien(ne)s or Laudinien(ne)s are also cited.[7] A martyr city of World War II, Saint-Lô was decorated with the Legion of Honour in 1948 and was given the nickname "Capital of the Ruins", a phrase popularised by Samuel Beckett.[8]